Atlanta is girded by a beltway called I-285, usually referred to as the Perimeter. As a visitor, you'll be spending most of your time within the confines of the Perimeter. Two interstate highways (I-75 and I-85) converge just above the airport and proceed north, forking off just northwest of Piedmont Park: I-75 goes northwest, I-85 northeast. When the highways meet and travel through downtown Atlanta, they're known as the Downtown Connector. A fourth interstate highway just below the downtown area, I-20, is an east-west artery that cuts all the way through Georgia, connecting South Carolina with Alabama. Georgia Highway 400 is a toll road connecting I-85 with the suburbs to the north. The cost for cars is 50¢.
There's a joke that all directions in Atlanta begin with "Go to Peachtree . . . ." That's because there are a few dozen Peachtrees -- Peachtree Street, Lane, Road, Avenue, Circle, Drive, Plaza, and Way, not to mention West Peachtree Street, Peachtree Memorial Drive, Peachtree Battle Avenue, Peachtree Valley Road, and so on. So be sure to emphasize which Peachtree you're looking for when you ask for directions. Peachtree Street -- which becomes Peachtree Road above Midtown and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard above Buckhead -- is the backbone of Atlanta and its major north-south artery. It's possible, though time-consuming, to start out on Peachtree Street and travel all the way from downtown to beyond the Perimeter. Another main north-south thoroughfare is Piedmont Avenue. Peachtree is a two-way street, while Piedmont has two-way traffic above 14th Street, but south-to-north only below 14th Street. Major east-west streets include Memorial Drive, North Avenue, Ponce de Leon Avenue, 14th Street, and, in Buckhead, East and West Paces Ferry Drives.
Because Atlanta just grew (and grew and grew) and wasn't planned out on a grid system, getting around the city by car can be confusing and frustrating, even for people who live here. Streets are often one-way downtown, or they change names, or are cut off by the interstate or the Chattahoochee River. Be sure to have a good map in hand if you're driving or if you venture much off the beaten path, and make sure your directions are clear. But if you do get lost, Atlantans -- who are very friendly -- are always eager to help visitors find their way.
